Winning the Battle
by DarkAngelLillith
Summary: Ratchet thinks about his human and how it was that they ended up together. Warnings: human/holo slash


**Disclaimer: **I don't own them. I just play with them.

**Warnings:** human/holo slash

**A/N: **Another requested fic for technodoofus.

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_**Winning the Battle**_

Ratchet wondered how he ended up like this. He watched the boy sleeping beside him, holoform frowning. He was so old and the boy was so young. He knew the humans had a term for that… Cradle thief or something like that. He could search for the proper term, but he didn't feel like it. The point was that he was even too old to even be allowed to steal cradles.

He'd only wanted to learn more about humans. The medic had gotten tired of hearing how he was smothering them or any other complaints whenever he tried to look out for their well being. Surely using his holoform to try and figure their behavior by blending in with them was not a bad idea. It hadn't sounded bad when he thought it up. And by the Matrix, if Bumblebee and Jazz could do it, he could do it too!

Unfortunately, the medic overlooked two very important facts. Bumblebee and Jazz had studied the culture as much as they could before arrival. And their own programming was very adaptable to any situations they could encounter. He hadn't studied as much during the trip to Earth and he wasn't as adaptable.

Thankfully, Bumblebee had taken an interest in the medic's sudden interest in subterfuge and had volunteered Sam as Ratchet's teacher of human behavior. The boy had been overwhelmed, but had taken the challenge.

A hundred and fifty seven solar cycles passed and Ratchet had been frustrated over the data collected. Things added up to humans having a self-preservation instinct fluctuating between nonexistent to all-encompassing. Sam had tried to explain that riding a rollercoaster was supposed to be fun, but Ratchet had not believed him… at least until the human had grabbed his holoform's hand and made him join a ride.

Ratchet smiled at the memory, one of his hands moving to pet the boy's hair lightly. He'd been right. It was fun. So far most of what the boy had shown him was of the dangerous to the health but fun category. There were things he would never do, of course.

Like that time Sam had wanted to teach him how to swim. Ratchet did not care to know how much fun it was for humans to voluntarily enter an environment they weren't equipped to live in. He'd rather stay on the shore and watch the boy with his soon to be mate. Besides, no one had actually tested how a holoform would react to water. Ratchet did not relish the idea of being the first one to find out.

It was then, watching the boy with the human girl playing in the water that he realized he didn't like Mikaela that much. The thought startled him. The girl was intelligent and was one of the few that actually considered his advice whenever he gave it. She wasn't even intimidated by him and his temper. He had, in fact, started to teach her a thing or two about Cybertronian medicine. She might not be apprentice material, but she had potential. And now, suddenly, he concluded he didn't like her. He could not, in fact, stand her. He analyzed the feeling, trying to find the cause of such sudden dislike, when she looked back at him and her smile wavered.

Had she known?

That was a question that bothered him from time to time. But she had no way of knowing. Neither he nor Sam knew what was happening. How could she?

He felt Sam's hand snaking around his waist and he let the teen cuddle closer to him. Thinking back on that day. On the way her smile had wavered and she looked back at Sam, who simply wrapped her arms around her, said something in her ears and kissed her. Ratchet had hated her right then. She wasn't good enough for him, he had thought… He still thought. And maybe she _had_ known, because the look she gave to him after that kiss he now recognized as a challenge.

She had dared him to take the boy from her and he had unconsciously risen to the challenge. And Sam… Sweet, trusting little Sam had been so oblivious to it. Oblivious to the medic suddenly deciding to do things and explore at exactly the same time the human had scheduled a date with his girlfriend. Oblivious to the girl's almost constant presence in the base when before she only went there from time to time. Oblivious to the reprimands and comments the others gave the medic. Oblivious to the support the girl had from the others, especially Bee. Oblivious to their polite yet frosty interactions when before they could've been considered friends. She no longer wanted to learn from him and he no longer wanted to teach her. A pity. She had so much potential for a human…

He was about to give up when Bumblebee had rushed in the medbay and proceeded to beat the slag out of him. The medic was stronger and had more experience, plus he knew how to immobilize the younger mech with a button, and soon had the Camaro subdued. That day Mikaela left Sam. That day, the same day he was about to give the boy up to the girl, was the same day he found the way to his goal cleared. Would it be hard to get the boy's heart? He had wondered then, having no idea but not willing to contemplate giving up now that he was so close.

Six months later he was here, the boy cuddling after his holoform after a night of interfacing. He chuckled and Sam stirred slightly before settling in his sleep. The boy called it 'making love' and somehow the medic liked that term better. He had won. The boy loved him and, by Primus, he loved the boy back! The others might never understand why he did it, but he didn't care. Maybe this was wrong and maybe he was too old for this, but after so much death, after so much sacrifice, the medic felt he was owed this little bit of happiness.

Of course, Ironhide had tried to reason with him, telling him that humans were short lived. Ratchet knew the amount of years will be painfully brief, but… There was a sliver of the All Spark in their possession and he had enough materials laying around to build a body. He was no Wheeljack, but he knew how to put a body together. When the time came, he would be prepared. He was not losing him without a fight. Not now.

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Edited: 1/22/09


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